Author Archives: Christina

About Christina

Unknown's avatar
Blessings to all that are viewing this. My name is Christina Cruz-Mendez. I am a Senior Pastor at Mission United International Church in Yonkers, NY working along side my husband Juan A. Mendez Jr. Senior Pastor, currently residing in Canton, Georgia. We have been together for 29 years with 2 children that God has blessed us with. Makes us the family of four - "JusChrist4". I have been a Christian and active in ministry for about 22 years now. Through all the rocky and smooth roads in life I am eternally grateful that God has brought me this far in life to share with the world what He is doing in me, through me and for me.
June 8, 2018

Finally… A Moment

By Christina

WHEW! What a week! I haven’t said the “TGIF” statement in forever but I must say –today! Thank God that it is Friday.  Not only that but that I am finally home alone for a moment with just me.

House is quiet.

Weather is amazing.

Birds are chirping.

Got my ice coffee and a little bit of me with a whole lot of God in my midst.

I’m thankful… I love me some moments like this.  I was having a conversation in my car with God and just talked it out as I was driving home.  I didn’t even want to hear music.  I muted the volume in my car.  Windows rolled down.  It was just me and Him.  I talked out my choices, my life now, decisions I had to make and what it costs me.  MUCH! But I know that He is always going to find a way to balance out my life to the best of His ability and by me giving Him all that I have.  Every ounce.

Stalwart walks in step with God;
    his path blazed by God, he’s happy.
If he stumbles, he’s not down for long;
    God has a grip on his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 The Message Translation

I guess I am going to have to walk in step with God that no matter where I find myself He is holding me so tight–through every thing and every day.  Good –bad –ugly –frustrated –chaos –busyness –overloads!!!

As long as my path is blazed by God I know I am always going to be happy.

Even in the busiest moments I must say that I know that He has a grip on my life.

I am going to keep on trusting Him on that.

Finally….In every moment. ❤

Leave a comment | posted in Inspiration

May 12, 2018

The Raging Sea

By Christina

As small as it looks, things ahead of me are going to be fascinating.

It may not look like it now.

May not feel like it.

But it’s going to happen.

Good days.

Pure bliss.

Joy everlasting.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”
Isaiah 61:1-4 NIV

This is very meaningful.

A delight to know.

I wont forget this Word.

Even when I don’t see it.

When adversity strikes and shakes the soul.

Jesus will bring me to a complete calmness,

Just as He did to calm the raging sea.

We all are surrounded by it at one point or another.

He will bring it to a complete calmness.

A total victory already won.

Leave a comment | posted in Inspiration, Trust

May 7, 2018

DESTINY

By Christina

God is so committed to His will for your life that He will not release you to your next step of destiny until He knows you are ready and until you have proven your readiness to yourself.  That only happens in the wilderness.

You know your personal wilderness! It’s a lonely, frustrating place and in the midst of it, the voices of doubt and the devil are easier to hear than the voice of God.  Makes you confused and wondering HOW to get out.

The destiny to which you are appointed demands you know who you are!

This wilderness may look desolate but BE ENCOURAGED, it’s designed to help you grow.

Van Moody
The i-Factor
How Building a Great Relationship with Yourself is the Key to a Happy, Successful LIfe

I kept this book near to me and finally got to reading this. I am just halfway through and it is already soul-transforming! This is what we need most.  As weapons of warfare rise up against the mind and heart –the emotions–we need to stand firm and know who we are, what we are and whose we are! We belong to God! To His kingdom!

We must be doing something right, else the enemy wouldn’t be fighting us so hard. My dear friend and sister Cynthia Murray [Divine Women of Destiny] said to me today, “What fight isn’t painful? What boxer thinks he is going in the ring and not going to get hit or bruised?”  I mean even if you win–you still getting hit, attacked and bruised up.  You don’t go in the ring as a darling diva and come out even more glamorous. In fact you come out looking WORSE!  Bruised, battered and beaten!!!

BUT–YOU GOT OUT!

You have a purpose as an individual.  Your own destiny that God designed just specific and tailored to your life only.  You will be a blessing to the body of Christ and to those you encounter.  There is a virtue that comes out of you–and it comes out of a place of brokenness. A place where you were bruised, battered and beaten up! This was the place that caused you to grow the most.

God has plans for us! Perfect plans. A great destiny. It will happen –good things.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.
Deuteronomy 6:23-24 

Thank you for your words CM.  I appreciate them, value them and will hide them in my heart! ❤

With Love,
Christina

Leave a comment | posted in Encouragement, Identity

April 27, 2018

Multitude of Words

By Christina

When you want to say so much but you can’t!

“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.”
Proverbs 10:19

“A fool vents all his feelings,
But a wise man holds them back.”
Proverbs 29:11

So many times where I think I could have said this, I should have said this.  Maybe I shouldn’t of said this or too much of that. Then my mind just never really knows much but the anguish it is causing to itself.

The only words I could find that would help me through the soulish realm in the nights and days of turmoil thought processing is this—WORSHIP!

Thank you Jesus.

Love you Jesus.

You are here with me now Jesus.

You never leave me nor forsake me Jesus.

Words of wisdom. Sometimes we just got to stay quiet inside and out. It’s so hard to hold back the thoughts, to sit on them or swallow them. Who can I think of that probably thought too much but the psalmist David.

Psalm 6:3
My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord—how long?

Psalm 11:1
In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?

Psalm 13:2
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Psalm 16:2
O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.”

Psalm 16:10
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Psalm 25:1
[ A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness ] [ A Psalm of David. ]
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Psalm 25:20
Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.

Psalm 30:3
O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

I think he knew about that soulish realm that we should not allow to reign or have dominion.  This is the part that wants to govern our every move but it cannot.  We must be led by the spirit! That is why he kept praying on it.  He prayed every time he reached that point.  And those were just a few–for in the search for the soul in the content, the Psalms had many others.

Relatable truth! For there is nothing that could bring us the quick deliverance like the multitude of words that are available through the scriptures.

They are life.

Much more than we could ever say.

Leave a comment | posted in Peace